Deputy Fatally Shoots Groundhog Blocking Road in Maryland

A deputy in Maryland has faced criticism over the way he handled a groundhog that was blocking a roadway.

The incident was caught on camera by a witness stuck in traffic. In the beginning, the officer tries to shoo the animal away, but the animal was not responding. Eventually the groundhog kept moving closer to the deputy, eventually appearing to run towards him.

It was at this point that the officer decided to shoot the groundhog, once wounding it, and then a second shot to kill the animal.

The Sheriff’s Office said in a statement, saying, “He realized that it was not responding as expected for an animal that was not being cornered or trapped. Believing the groundhog to be either sick or injured, the deputy then put the animal down for the public’s safety.”